Share your experiences~!

[AnnabelleIeve]

1) Finns - they have a strange attitude to money - but you know that by now! You feel the disdain if someone feels that you have too much / more than them. A friend of mine is fond of telling a story about how Finns are the most impolite and most polite drivers in the world. Just depends whether he is driving his New BMW X5 or his 10 year old Ford!!

Definitely thinking about buying a beaten up old mustang to take to Finland

You would be the only one on the street with a US car - such a car would definitely make you known throughout town as the crazy rich girl from the US.

Ford also has decent European cars, but they are completely different from their US cars.

Come on. There is nothing wealthy about a beat up old mustang!

[Pursuivant]

Come on. There is nothing wealthy about a beat up old mustang!

How many mustangs do you think they sold "new" here? all 10? About as common as reindeer in California... Theres going to be drool on the bonnet...

[AnnabelleIeve]

Come on. There is nothing wealthy about a beat up old mustang!

How many mustangs do you think they sold "new" here? all 10? About as common as reindeer in California... Theres going to be drool on the bonnet...

I'm talking about like an 80's mustang. They are so cheap, crappy and worn to death by the big cocaine-heroin overdose that was the 80's. They ain't the iconic muscle cars you think of when you hear the word "Mustang". They are sad excuses for automobiles. Everyone has owned at least one crappy mustang. They are that sort of car.

[Pursuivant]

Naah, not 80's mustang, a pontiac

[AnnabelleIeve]

Naah, not 80's mustang, a pontiac

What sort of car would a Finn consider modest?

[Pursuivant]

What sort of car would a Finn consider modest?

[AnnabelleIeve]

What sort of car would a Finn consider modest?

I could do public transportation!

[Flossy1978]

Any bomb/car you bring over from America will have to go through katsastus..... Every year, to make sure it's roadworthy just like any other car. Brand new cars don't have to go every year up until a certain age, which I don't remember. But I don't know if that applies to a new car brought into the country from elsewhere.

Then if you brought a car here, you'd be taxed on it, I believe. On what the government think your car is worth.

You do see true old American cars here. Not so often though. And mostly in summer. I think they are mostly hobby cars. I know at one point in summer they do a drive through Helsinki with all these old cars, including American ones.

We pay so much for cars that we don't want to drive sh*t and a lot of American cars are sh*t compared to Asian and European cars. And American cars tend to use an insane amount of petrol. And petrol is very expensive here.

Where I live there is obviously a very wealthy family, because they drive through my town with their two hummers all the time. We're talking over 100,000€ per car. Petrol guzzlers. But this is the only place I've ever seen them. Sure they must exist elsewhere, but very few of them.

If you want a car, it's better to buy one here when you are here. And if it's secondhand, you make sure you take a Finn, preferably a man with and you don't buy from Tuusula..... Capital of Finland for shady secondhand car dealers....

And no, I am sorry I don't agree with your post telling people are replying to you as they are because we are jealous of your money. So what if you have money? There are very wealthy people in Finland too, much more wealthier than you. It's about attitude.

[jahasjahas]

Most university students in Helsinki don't own a car at all (the only one I can think of is my brother). The rents are high, gas is expensive, and public transportation works.

And yes, there are separate cleats that you can attach to your shoe, but they will make you look like a grandma. Just use regular winter shoes with good traction. Walking on ice and snow requires a certain technique that takes a while to learn. (Search the forum for "winter shoes" or something similar and you'll find many posts by foreigners who keep falling over.)

[Flossy1978]

You just walk like a granny in Winter, then you'll be fine LOL.

[Upphew]

I'm talking about like an 80's mustang. They are so cheap, crappy and worn to death by the big cocaine-heroin overdose that was the 80's. They ain't the iconic muscle cars you think of when you hear the word "Mustang". They are sad excuses for automobiles. Everyone has owned at least one crappy mustang. They are that sort of car.

You don't want crappy car, keeping that roadworthy would en up costing a lot. Imho you should bring your car if it is proper one. Just don't come with turboed Miata. They are a bit under the looking glass now as Mikael Junger got some national press coverage about his: http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/2013072 ... 0_uu.shtml

Bringing a beater wouldn't make economical sense as you could buy a better one here with the transportation costs. Getting good one over year prior coming here and selling it at some point makes sense, as you get tax break for removals. Cars are taxed here _a_lot_.

Some morning reading: http://www.tulli.fi/en/finnish_customs/ ... /index.jsp

[Adrian42]

They ain't the iconic muscle cars you think of when you hear the word "Mustang".

People in Europe don't associate anything with the word "Mustang".
Noone would even guess that you are talking about a car when you say "Mustang".
US cars are simply not present on European streets, and are literally unknown here.

[Pursuivant]

You just walk like a granny in Winter, then you'll be fine LOL.

I'd be more worried she drives like a granny - in the winter

[AnnabelleIeve]

You just walk like a granny in Winter, then you'll be fine LOL.

I'd be more worried she drives like a granny - in the winter

I really am a terrible driver all year round.

[Adrian42]

You just walk like a granny in Winter, then you'll be fine LOL.

I'd be more worried she drives like a granny - in the winter

I really am a terrible driver all year round.

That makes Finland a good match for you - you don't need a car here.